Listen: Allentown's Jordan Creek encampment highlights search for safe housing solutions

LehighValleyNews.com | By Jason Addy,

Published September 10, 2025 at 9:30 AM EDT

Allentown Encampment — Allentown officials posted formal no-trespassing signs on the morning of Thursday, Aug. 7, at the entrance to a homeless encampment along Jordan Creek.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Dozens of people living in an encampment along Jordan Creek in Allentown are running out of time to find a new place to stay.

Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk initially ordered the camp to close Aug. 25, but after pushback from residents and activists, he extended the deadline by about five weeks.

WLVR’s Brad Klein gets an update from reporter Jason Addy on the status of the tent city, which at times has housed as many as 100 residents. They also discuss the nonprofit-run Miracle Community in Harrisburg, an attempt to provide a safe camping space that could serve as a model for the Lehigh Valley.

Listen in the audio player above or below.

Brad Klein and Jason Addy

Jason Addy talks to Brad Klein about the Jordan Creek encampment in Allentown and a recent visit to a "Miracle Community" in Harrisburg.

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Jason Addy

I cover Allentown and have worked for news outlets in Pennsylvania, Chicago and Minneapolis since graduating from Penn State. It’s great to be much closer to home — I was born and raised in Lehighton — and I’m excited to help share Allentown’s stories. If you've got an idea, I want to hear it. You can reach me any time at jasona@lehighvalleynews.com.

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Brad Klein

I was a founding member of the WLVR News team in 2019, bringing more than 20 years of experience in radio journalism, podcast, and video production. I’ve had a role in a number of long-running programs at NPR, MSNBC and WNYC. A founding producer of NPR’s “Talk of the Nation: Science Friday,” I played similar start-up roles for NPR’s Weekly Edition, MSNBC’s Edgewise, Public Radio International’s Satellite Sisters and even as a writer on one of the early pilot episodes of the news/comedy show, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me. I’ve also worked as a reporter, producer, and director for National Public Radio News programs including Weekend Edition and All Things Considered. An avid naturalist, I lead educational programs for the American Museum of Natural History and Brooklyn Botanical Garden.

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